You must take the Food Protection Course for Mobile Vendors to apply for a Mobile Food Vendor License. The course takes eight hours to complete and is given over two days. Each session is four hours long.

The course is offered in English and Bangla.

After you complete the course and pass the final exam, you will get a certificate to show that you have met the Health Code requirement. You will also be issued your Mobile Food Vendor license.

Class Location

Health Academy
The Riverside Health Center, 3rd floor
160 West 100th Street (near Columbus Avenue)

Cost

The course, including final exam, costs $53. Anyone registering for this course must also apply for and pay separately for a Mobile Food Vendor License at the same time. The cost of the license is $50.

Schedule

This is an eight-hour class, held over two days. Class meets for four hours each day.

Most weeks, there are two classes conducted in English. One on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and another on Thursdays and Fridays. The schedule for the Bangla class varies.

How to Register

You can register and pay in person at the Citywide Licensing Center.

Citywide Licensing Center
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

Appointments are required.

• Email LicensingAppointments@dcwp.nyc.gov
• Call (212) 436-0441 (Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM)

You can pay with:

• Master Card (debit and credit)
• Visa (debit and credit)
• American Express
• Discover Card
• Certified check
• Money order

Licensed mobile food vendors must take an online refresher course in food protection and safe operating practices and pass a final exam every four years to maintain their license. 

The course takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is free. Registration is required. 

Take the Mobile Food Vending Refresher Course.

You can take the Food Protection Course for food establishments online. The online course satisfies the same requirements as the classroom course.

The course has 15 lessons. Each lesson takes about one hour to complete. You can take the course in English, Spanish, and Chinese. A study guide is available in 36 languages. The online course is free, but there is a fee for the final exam.

Learn more about the online course.

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Final Exam

To get a food protection certificate, you must pass the final exam.

After you complete the online course, you will be told how to schedule and pay for the exam. The cost is $24.60.

The exam is offered in 36 languages.

You must take the final exam in person at:

NYC Health Academy
Riverside Health Center
160 West 100th Street, 3rd Floor, Manhattan

If you pass, you will get a temporary certificate which shows that you have met the Health Code requirement. The certificate does not expire.

You can take the Food Protection Course in a classroom setting. The entire course takes 15 hours to complete and is given over five days. Each session is three hours long.

The course is offered in English, Spanish, and Bengali.

Final exams are given on the last day of the class. If you pass the exam, you will get your food protection certificate that day.

Class Location

Health Academy
The Riverside Health Center, 3rd floor
160 West 100th Street (near Columbus Avenue)

Cost

The course costs $114.00.

Schedule

This is a 15-hour course held over five days. Classes usually start on a Monday and end on a Friday. Each session is three hours long.

If Monday is a City holiday, classes begin that Tuesday and end on Friday. Each session is three hours and 45 minutes long.

How to Register

Online

You can register and pay for the course online with:

• Master Card (debit and credit)
• Visa (debit and credit)
• American Express
• Discover Card
• Electronic check (you must provide your bank routing number and account number)

A 2.49% convenience fee will be added to all credit and debit card payments.

Register and pay for the course.

In Person

You can register and pay in person at the Citywide Licensing Center.

Citywide Licensing Center
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

Appointments are required.

• Email LicensingAppointments@dcwp.nyc.gov
• Call (212) 436-0441 (Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM)

You can pay with:

• Master Card (debit and credit)
• Visa (debit and credit)
• American Express
• Discover Card
• Certified check
• Money order

CUNY Schools Offering Course

Some CUNY schools also offer the Food Protection Course. These classes satisfy the Health Department requirement for certification in food protection.

• College of Staten Island
• Kingsborough Community College
• Hostos Community College
• LaGuardia Community College
• New York City Technical College
• Queens College
• York College

Contact each school directly for schedule and registration information.

You can get a certificate in food protection to work at or volunteer in a soup kitchen or to serve food at a summer or day camp. The Food Protection Course for soup kitchen and camp workers takes four hours to complete.

After completing the course, you will get a card to show that you have met the Health Code requirement. The certificate does not expire.

Class Location

Health Academy
The Riverside Health Center, 3rd floor
160 West 100th Street (near Columbus Avenue)

Schedule

The course is usually held once a month. More classes are added in the spring and summer.

How to Register

Online

Register for the course.

By Phone

If you already have a certificate in food protection for restaurants, you may use that certificate to satisfy the mobile food vending license requirement for a certificate in food protection. You must present that certificate at the time you apply for a Mobile Food Vendor License.

You can get help by phone if you have questions about:

• Payments
• Refunds
• Rescheduling a class
• Status of temporary certificate and license surrendering
• Using the online registration system